The Infinite Lawn

By Shi Zhiying in Galleries — 19 Jun 2012

Eye-catching landscapes don’t need glitter to produce mystery. Beautiful monochrome paintings that capture the vastness of sea, sand, and sky.

Interview by Karolle Rabarison, translated by Veronica Pan and Karolle Rabarison

TMN: So, where is the best place to get xiaolongbao in Shanghai?

Shi Zhiying: Probably the Lv Bo Lang Restaurant in Town God’s Temple (Cheng Huang Miao in Yu Garden).

TMN: I was in and out of Shanghai the year Alain Robert, the Frenchman who climbs skyscrapers, was arrested for scaling Jin Mao Tower, and I heard people refer to his Spiderman stunts as art. What was your reaction?

Shi Zhiying: Very interesting. Everyone has their own thing. Continue reading ↓

The Infinite Lawn, 2012, oil on canvas

Palomar—Reading a Wave, 2012

Palomar—The Loves of the Tortoises, 2012

The Universe No. 2, 2012, oil on canvas

Palomar—The Sand Garden, 2011–2012, watercolor and ink on paper

Palomar—Moon in the Afternoon, 2011–2012, watercolor and ink on paper

Palomar—The Order Squamata, 2011–2012, watercolor and ink on paper

Palomar—The Eye and the Planets, 2011–2012, watercolor and ink on paper

Palomar—The Sword and the Sun, 2011–2012, watercolor and ink on paper

Interview continued

TMN: When did you begin creating art?

Shi Zhiying: In childhood. I learned many things such as piano and calligraphy but gave them up for lack of interest. Then I learned to paint. I never considered whether it would be my job at that time, but I’ve been painting ever since.

TMN: Why do you paint in black and white?

Shi Zhiying: It is said that at three months babies can only see the world in black and white, so what is actually real? Painting in black and white gives people more space for imagination. Everyone sees the color they want to see.

TMN: How did you get interested in Italo Calvino’s Mr. Palomar?

Shi Zhiying: Mr. Palomar can be any one of us; there is nothing special about him. He lives a normal life like us. He goes on vacation, is close to nature, shops in the city, travels around the world. In facing the world, he comes up with many thoughts and ideas, so here the emphasis is not on Mr. Palomar but on “the experience of Mr. Palomar”—each of our experiences in everyday life.

TMN: Was there anything about the story you didn’t like?

Shi Zhiying: Not yet.